1 00:00:01,866 --> 00:00:03,633 We're going to get two perspectives now, two different perspectives from 2 00:00:03,633 --> 00:00:06,933 Democratic members of Congress, first from Congressman Adam Smith. 3 00:00:06,933 --> 00:00:10,100 He's the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, 4 00:00:10,100 --> 00:00:14,700 who today called on President Biden to abandon his reelection efforts. 5 00:00:14,700 --> 00:00:17,600 Congressman Smith joins us now. Thanks for being with us. 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:22,466 So you say that President Biden should exit the race. Why? Does it have to do 7 00:00:22,466 --> 00:00:27,466 with his electoral chances or, in your view, his ability to do the job as president? 8 00:00:29,133 --> 00:00:31,533 REP. ADAM SMITH (D-WA): There's two - - the two most compelling reasons. 9 00:00:31,533 --> 00:00:35,866 Number one, I don't believe the president is an effective messenger at this point. And that's the 10 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,033 shame of it. We have a great message. I think the president's done a good job the last four 11 00:00:41,033 --> 00:00:46,000 years. When you look at where the economy was when he came in, he's managed that in a way 12 00:00:48,266 --> 00:00:51,366 that has put us in a better position than any other country in the world coming out of COVID. 13 00:00:51,366 --> 00:00:55,733 He passed the infrastructure bill. He passed the Inflation Reduction Act. He 14 00:00:55,733 --> 00:01:00,733 has pulled together this coalition that has helped us stop Putin from 15 00:01:02,866 --> 00:01:05,466 taking over Ukraine. But what we saw in the debate and what we have seen since then and 16 00:01:05,466 --> 00:01:10,466 also in some instances before that, he is not an effective messenger for that. 17 00:01:12,533 --> 00:01:15,933 And he has health care concerns. You saw that at the White House press conference today, 18 00:01:17,733 --> 00:01:21,033 where there were not clear answers given. So I just think at, this point, 19 00:01:21,033 --> 00:01:25,933 there are other people that could deliver that message better. And the stakes are so high. 20 00:01:25,933 --> 00:01:29,100 And, yes, we are distracted. But I know the White House has said, 21 00:01:29,100 --> 00:01:32,866 well, members need to stop talking about this. We're not the ones bringing it up. 22 00:01:32,866 --> 00:01:37,433 We were not there at the White House press - - press event today. The media brought 23 00:01:37,433 --> 00:01:41,433 it up. Our constituents have brought it up. It's what people are talking about. 24 00:01:41,433 --> 00:01:45,533 Yes, it is a distraction from talking about our message, from talking about Donald Trump. 25 00:01:45,533 --> 00:01:50,500 But given President Biden's performance in the debate, what has happened since then, we can't 26 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,233 do that. I want the most effective messenger possible because the stakes could not be higher. 27 00:01:58,166 --> 00:01:59,933 GEOFF BENNETT: Well, in a letter that the president wrote to congressional 28 00:01:59,933 --> 00:02:03,400 Democrats today, he said: "The question of how to move forward 29 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:08,100 has been well aired for over a week now and it's time for it to end." 30 00:02:08,100 --> 00:02:10,333 So the question I have for you is, at this point, 31 00:02:10,333 --> 00:02:15,000 what are you planning to do? The president says he's not stepping aside. 32 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,133 REP. ADAM SMITH: Yes, I'm planning to deliver the message. 33 00:02:17,133 --> 00:02:21,066 And, look, I agree with you. I think the president has dug in, 34 00:02:21,066 --> 00:02:26,066 and I think that's incredibly unfortunate. But I just can't let that go. It's too important, 35 00:02:27,866 --> 00:02:30,000 and that debate performance and what has happened since then made it 36 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,133 too clear about his inability to be an effective messenger for this party. 37 00:02:34,133 --> 00:02:39,100 And, look, I pointed this out earlier, but, four years ago, when President Biden ran, 38 00:02:39,100 --> 00:02:43,233 he didn't get off to a very good start in the primary campaigns. He lost in Iowa, 39 00:02:43,233 --> 00:02:48,233 he lost in New Hampshire, he lost in Nevada, and then Bernie Sanders emerged as the top candidate. 40 00:02:50,233 --> 00:02:53,300 And these same people who Biden is now dismissing as elites, which, by the way, 41 00:02:55,233 --> 00:02:58,666 are the Democratic Party, were worried about that. So they threw their support 42 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,333 behind Joe Biden and helped get other candidates out of the race. 43 00:03:03,333 --> 00:03:07,333 You know, it's what the Democratic Party has done. It's not personal. It's not about Joe 44 00:03:07,333 --> 00:03:12,333 Biden. It's about what's best for the party and best for the country. This time, it is clear to 45 00:03:14,566 --> 00:03:18,266 me that what's best for the party and best for the country is to have a different candidate. 46 00:03:20,166 --> 00:03:22,933 And I just -- I feel so strongly about that. What's the honest answer to that 47 00:03:22,933 --> 00:03:25,033 question when people say, well, what did you think about the president's 48 00:03:25,033 --> 00:03:27,800 debate performance? What do you think about the president's health? What 49 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,600 do you think about this interview where he didn't say it correctly? 50 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,833 That's what we're peppered with day in and day out, 51 00:03:34,833 --> 00:03:39,833 instead of being able to talk about the message that we want to talk about. And that is not... 52 00:03:41,033 --> 00:03:42,266 (CROSSTALK) REP. ADAM SMITH: ... fault. 53 00:03:42,266 --> 00:03:43,433 (CROSSTALK) GEOFF BENNETT: Forgive me. 54 00:03:43,433 --> 00:03:45,033 If not President Biden as the nominee, 55 00:03:45,033 --> 00:03:48,300 then who? Is it Vice President Kamala Harris or someone else? 56 00:03:48,300 --> 00:03:51,400 REP. ADAM SMITH: Yes, my personal feeling, I think it should be Vice President Harris. I 57 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,300 think the last two years, in particular, she's been an outstanding messenger for this party, 58 00:03:56,300 --> 00:04:01,266 particularly on the most salient issue of those two years. And that's reproductive health care 59 00:04:03,333 --> 00:04:06,433 for women. She has been very strong in that regard. And I -- that's who I would pick. 60 00:04:08,233 --> 00:04:11,866 But, look, we have a couple dozen different, really effective, talented, 61 00:04:11,866 --> 00:04:16,866 experienced candidates all across the board. The convention can make a different choice. And I want 62 00:04:19,133 --> 00:04:21,933 to make one other point clear. The president's not the nominee yet. He's the presumptive nominee. 63 00:04:24,066 --> 00:04:27,300 If we go through the convention and he's the nominee, look, I will support him. He's clearly 64 00:04:29,433 --> 00:04:32,500 the best choice. Elections are a choice. He's a better choice than who's in the field. I'm 65 00:04:34,900 --> 00:04:38,233 just worried that those limitations mean that he's not going to be good enough to beat Donald Trump. 66 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:44,366 GEOFF BENNETT: The president won 14 million votes in the primary. It's often Democrats who accuse 67 00:04:46,533 --> 00:04:49,933 Republicans of trying to disenfranchise voters. What's the argument for effectively throwing 68 00:04:49,933 --> 00:04:54,933 away the votes of 14 million people who have said, Joe Biden is our guy? 69 00:04:57,033 --> 00:04:59,033 REP. ADAM SMITH: Two things about that. Number one, Kamala Harris was running with him, 70 00:04:59,033 --> 00:05:02,800 OK? Part of the reason that I will also pick Kamala Harris is because of that. 71 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:07,800 And it was set up. If the president can't do the job of running this campaign, 72 00:05:09,466 --> 00:05:11,733 Kamala's right there, and she got those votes too, First of all. 73 00:05:11,733 --> 00:05:16,733 Second of all, what if that debate had happened in November of last year, 74 00:05:18,766 --> 00:05:22,100 OK? You can make a pretty powerful argument that, since all of those people voted, 75 00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:27,100 there has been a significant shift in the president's ability to run this campaign. 76 00:05:28,966 --> 00:05:31,300 And that's why we have the option, the opportunity to pick a different choice. 77 00:05:31,300 --> 00:05:35,700 And, look, I'm not trying to pressure the president into doing anything. What 78 00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:40,700 I sincerely hope is that he and his advisers will do the same thing that all Democrats 79 00:05:42,900 --> 00:05:46,666 did four years ago and sit down and say, what's the best path forward? It's not primarily about 80 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,233 Joe Biden. It's about the country. It's about the party. It's about the issues. 81 00:05:51,233 --> 00:05:55,633 Look at it and ask yourself honestly, do we have a better chance to win in 82 00:05:55,633 --> 00:05:59,333 November with Joe Biden at the top of the ticket or Kamala Harris at the top 83 00:05:59,333 --> 00:06:03,466 of the ticket? I think the question answers itself at this point. And I 84 00:06:03,466 --> 00:06:07,333 think that is what I'm hoping that the way - - and I have spoken to them, by the way. 85 00:06:07,333 --> 00:06:11,400 I didn't just do this out of the blue. I spoke to them the day after the debate and several 86 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:16,400 times since. So, I just -- I want the right choice to be made for the sake of the country. 87 00:06:18,466 --> 00:06:23,133 GEOFF BENNETT: What do you say to Democrats who view this entire thing as unhelpful, that 88 00:06:25,266 --> 00:06:28,633 if President Biden stays in the race, as he says he will, he will emerge from this damaged, one, 89 00:06:30,933 --> 00:06:34,833 by his own debate performance, but, two, by this open skepticism from Democrats like yourself, 90 00:06:36,333 --> 00:06:39,600 that there's more harm than good done by this, that he emerges, 91 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,833 that the ticket emerges from this devalued? 92 00:06:42,833 --> 00:06:45,033 REP. ADAM SMITH: I say two things about that. 93 00:06:45,033 --> 00:06:49,800 First of all, this is out there. We're not the ones bringing it up. I have said this over and 94 00:06:51,900 --> 00:06:55,066 over again. I said it earlier, OK? It is out there. It is being brought up. The plan of 95 00:06:57,233 --> 00:07:00,233 let's just not address it and hope it goes away isn't working well. And it's not because of us. 96 00:07:02,300 --> 00:07:05,600 The people are asking about it. These are the calls that are coming into my office. We're not 97 00:07:07,900 --> 00:07:10,666 the ones who are bringing it up. And, second, that is how strongly I feel about this issue. 98 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,600 Look, I had concerns. I mean, the president was old when he got elected the first time. 99 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,933 He was older when he ran the second time. And I had concerns. He had alluded to the 100 00:07:19,933 --> 00:07:23,900 fact that he was a bridge. He was going to run for one term. And so I thought, 101 00:07:23,900 --> 00:07:26,100 yes, we should probably get a different candidate. 102 00:07:26,100 --> 00:07:31,033 And, OK, he decided not to do that. And I bought into that and said, OK, he's the nominee. Let's 103 00:07:33,166 --> 00:07:36,066 try to support him as much as possible. And I did. Again, it is how strongly I feel about 104 00:07:36,066 --> 00:07:41,066 it. The debate performance wasn't just a bad night. It was catastrophic in the performance. 105 00:07:43,333 --> 00:07:48,333 And it hasn't gotten a lot better since then. So I hear you, OK? It probably has 106 00:07:50,333 --> 00:07:54,933 a slight negative up front, but if it gets us the positive of a stronger nominee, 107 00:07:56,466 --> 00:07:59,433 I just feel so strongly about the fact that we have to try. 108 00:07:59,433 --> 00:08:02,400 GEOFF BENNETT: That is Congressman Adam Smith of Washington. 109 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,633 Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us.